A Secure Place
by etienneofthewestwind
Summary: After returning from Los Angeles, Emily seeks a more secure location than her apartment.  Spoilers for 6.14 Sense Memory.


**A Secure Place**  
**by étienneofthewestwind**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters.  
**Summary: **After returning from Los Angeles, Emily seeks a more secure location than her apartment. Spoilers for 6.14 Sense Memory.

* * *

Emily expected the askew looks she got when she made her way to the BAU with a cat in her arms. She did not expect to walk into the bullpen and find her immediate superior, Aaron Hotchner standing in the middle of the bullpen, his son in his arms as he talked to his former sister-in-law. Among the other remaining people, Section Chief Erin Strauss walked toward Hotch from the mezzanine stairs. As the door closed behind Emily, Sergio let out an impatient mew.

All eyes turned to her. So much for remaining unnoticed by those who could demand an explanation. "Prentiss?" Hotch said. "Are you all right? You look stressed. What happened?"

Stressed did not cover it. If her emotional state showed in her appearance, Emily looked like hell.

Strauss kept silent as she made her way toward them. She folded her arms over her chest and looked as stern and disapproving as ever, but for whatever reason seemed content to let Hotch deal with Emily. "I…" Emily licked her lips as her throat suddenly went dry. "I can't go into detail because some—most—of it's still classified, but someone I helped put away when I was attached to Interpol left a package outside my apartment. I needed a secure place to try and reach some old contacts."

Emily felt some tension leave her as she finished her explanation. She had managed to keep her voice steady during her brief explanation and convey the threat she was under while withholding the true need for alarm.

"Are you going to have to go away and change your hair and pretend to have a different name?"

Or not.

Emily saw Hotch´s face falter at his son´s question. Her stomach fell to her feet as memories of Foyet and Haley´s death rushed her mind. She had never thought much about what the boy must have felt and thought while he and his mother were stashed in witness protection—the bulk of her concern went to Hotch—but she had assumed that Jack was young enough to be sheltered from the reality.

Well, whatever the now-five child understood fifteen months ago, he clearly remembered something of that time and now understood far more than his father had realized. Hotch blinked back tears as he lifted his left arm up and pulled Jack closer to him. He kissed the top of the boy's head. "We'll watch out for her, Buddy," he murmured, rubbing his son's back. "She just needs to find out details so we can plan." Hotch hugged Jack to him again. "Can I get you to wait in my office while Chief Strauss and I discuss this with her? I'll be up shortly, and you can finish coloring that dinosaur while you wait."

Jack looked unhappy, but nodded silently.

"Thanks, Buddy." Hotch turned to his ex-sister-in-law. "Jess, can you take him up before you leave?"

The blonde nodded. "Of course."

"I know the way, Daddy," Jack protested, wriggling away from Hotch's grasp. Hotch lowered him to the floor, and Jack walked to the stairs. As Jessica followed him, Jack stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned around. "Good luck. If anyone can help you catch your bad guy, it's my Daddy. He's like a _real _superhero." Hotch embarrassed was a sight Emily would enjoy on most other days.

Under most other circumstances.

"Just make sure you know who calls you to go someplace. Bad guys can be tricky." Hotch winced as Jack turned to climb the stairs. After four steps, the boy stopped and looked back again. "Oh, and Daddy's not allowed to play with the kitty. He's 'lergic to cat spit and won't take his medicine."

Strauss looked amused at the sour look that flitted across Hotch's face before the man turned to give Jessica one of his looks. Emily's eyes widened at the thought of making her boss ill. "Sir, I am so sorry, but I couldn´t leave Sergio behind—"

"Of course not, Prentiss." Hotch stepped forward and held a hand out for Sergio to sniff. "Though, I'm amazed he's so calm about being in a strange place," he added as Sergio headbutted his hand. Hotch scratched Sergio behind his ears. While Emily wondered if she should say something, Sergio closed his eyes and purred loudly. "You love attention, don't you, Sergio?" A ghost smile crossed Hotch's face as he spoke. Then he grew solemn as Jessica guided Jack into his office. "How much can you tell us? Is he likely to target you or the team while we're on a case? And who do I speak to get cleared for the files? We need to assess the proper precautions."

"I'm only supposed to claim desk jobs before this posting, but with D—With this guy in DC, the team needs to know a threat exists, if nothing else. I doubt he'll pull something if I'm not alone, but…" Emily shrugged. "Anything's possible. I´m hoping to get you guys cleared with my calls."

"I'll call with you," Strauss rasped, her voice barely audible.

_It must have been laryngitis that had her out of the office this past week, _Emily thought.

"I have my own contacts." Strauss said, looking irritated. She must have mistaken Emily's surprise for skepticism.

"Of course, ma'am. It's been a draining day."

Hotch nodded. "Ma'am, if you're doing that first, I'll go up and talk with Jack for a while."

Strauss nodded. "Yes. Yes, of course."

"I'll start the audit work afterward." Sergio turned his head, nuzzled against Hotch's hand and licked his fingers. Hotch scratched the side of Sergio's mouth.

"Sir, should you really be doing that?" Emily finally asked at the same time Strauss told him to concentrate on his son.

"It's fine, Prentiss."

"Jack said you have allergies?"

"They're minor. And I have medication in my go bag—_If _I need it."

"He means he'll wait until after he starts sneezing before he even considers it," Jessica said as she walked down the stairs.

Hotch dropped his hand away from Sergio as he turned to her. "Well, I don't always rea—"

_Chou!_

Emily's jaw dropped as Hotch calmly walked to Reid's desk and grabbed a tissue to wipe off his nose, mouth and left cheek. Sergio daintily licked his nose before sneezing again. "Sir, I—" The stress she had felt ever since learning of Doyle's escape caught up with her, and her fight not to burst into giggles cut off her apology. It did not help that there were muffled twitters in the bullpen. Strauss, of all people, came to her rescue.

"Well, not all cat allergies are minor, so I can't permit him in the bullpen. Kale has cats and rarely has anyone else in her office, so we'll stash him there." Strauss turned, clearly expecting Emily to follow. As she left, she could hear Jessica talking to Hotch.

"When's the last time you didn't 'react that badly' to my girls? And they never spit into your—" The doors shut behind them, and Strauss began a soft wheezing that suspiciously resembled laughter. Emily sighed as she followed the normally strict woman. At least she was not looking at any reprimand. And with team soon to be brought into the loop, if only a little, she would feel more secure…


End file.
